COMPLEXITIES OF PACK DYNAMICS

From Chat Transcripts:
there's some magic involved in pack rankingChat 2007-11-03
rank in the pack is both actual and magical; the magic is more inherent than acted upon, like say, a witch's magicChat 2007-11-03

From Moon Called:
matter of safety to always know where you rank in the packMC-214
rule of keeping pack trouble in the packMC-67
wolves are meant to run in a packMC-130
there are all sorts of protocols they insist upon when a new wolf comes into someone else's territoryMC-11
wolves who can't control themselves are eliminated for the safety of the packMC-105
two unmated male werewolves always get territorial in the presence of a femaleMC-121
a pack won't accept a wolf who causes too much troubleMC-129
they are strongly discouraged to discuss the matter of being a werewolf with anyone other than permanent mates; punishment for disobedience was harshMC-135

From Alpha&Omega:

From Cry Wolf:
it always took a while for a new wolf to establish his place in the packCW-217

From Hunting Ground:

From Blood Bound:
pack law is necessarily brutalBB-51
werewolves, outside of a well-run pack, will kill the wounded or weakBB-135
2nd and 3rd--most cases the ranks were so close that there was always some tension between the wolves who held them, especially without the Alpha aroundBB-45
Dominance among werewolves is a combination of force of personality, strength of will, physical ability and a component of other that can't be explained to anyone without the eyes, ears, and nose to sense it-and those with the proper senses wouldn't need it explained; willingness to fight is as close as it can be explainedBB-137
it is because of that other that, outside of a pack, the natural dominance of a wolf changes within a fairly broad range; some days they are tired, depressed, happy-all of these affect natural dominanceBB-137

From Iron Kissed:

From Bone Crossed:
packs are dictatorshipsBC-74
once in a pack, only the Alpha or the member can break itBC-105

From Silver Borne:
since Warren joined the Columbia Basin Pack several other packs have allowed gay wolves to joinSB-24
Mercy is the first known nonwerewolf mate becoming packSB-14
pack existed before ceremonies; magic binds more obviously, more extensively, but not more deeplySB-56
in the best scenario, an injured wolf will be protected by his pack matesSB-188

The Marrok

A History

there had been a European ruler equivalent to the Marrok at one timeHG-87
the first Marrok had been created after the ravages of the Black PlagueHG-88
he hadn't been called the Marrok, that was Bran's decision in the New World--but that's what he had beenHG-88
made Alpha of all the Alphas and by the power of that, able to take on any other. Or he should have beenHG-88

kills any werewolves who allow the wolf to lead and the man to follow; preventing-mass-slaughter sorts of reasonsSB-54

Alpha Werewolves

From Chat Transcripts:

From Moon Called:
twice a year the Alphas meet with Bran at Bran's corporate headquarters in Colorado; they sometimes brought their seconds or thirds - but never the womenMC-203
Alphas are uncomfortable outside their own territory and interact badly with other AlphasMC-203
it was decided in the Middle Ages, after the Black Plague, that there would be a leader over all the werewolvesMC-34
the Marrok and his pack have oversight of all the werewolves in North AmericaMC-34
the only thing it takes to be an Alpha is power, not intelligence or even common senseMC-34
Alphas, especially the Marrok, never look away when others are watching themMC-99
Alphas can help control the wolves of newly Changed werewolvesMC-46
in Europe, murder was still mostly the way the rule of the pack changed handsMC-64
the old Alpha ruled until one of the younger, hungrier dominant males decided the old one had grown weak and attacked himMC-64
Mercy knows of at least one European Alpha who killed any male who showed signs of being dominantMC-64
New World--iron hand of the Marrok leadership was mostly imposed from above -- and no one challenged the Marrok's descsionsMC-64
the pack is sworn to obedience to the AlphaMC-145
penalty for disobeying a direct order is brutalMC-142
an Alpha never admits weakness in front of the packMC-208
meeting an Alpha on his home territory puts him in a superior positionMC-214

From Cry Wolf:
a man made himself and Alpha, it wasn't just an accident of birthCW-197
consuming the flesh and blood of the Alpha also cements a wolf's place in their packCW-293
being an Alpha isn't easy; it's a lot of responsibilty, a lot of workCW-111
Alphas don't like old wolves moving into their packsCW-111
the Marrok has careful screening of the dominants under his rule before he allowed them to become AlphasCW-207

From Blood Bound:
around 150 AlphasBB-114
if a pack member is hurt, flesh and blood of the Alpha can help heal himBB-130

From Iron Kissed:
it's not an easy matter to oust an Alpha, in North America, that never happens without the consent of the MarrokIK-40

From Bone Crossed:
alpha werewolves don't admit to any pain in public, and seldom in privateBC-25
alphas heal faster then regular wolves due to the power of his packBC-25
alphas don't do any heavy lifting if there are capable minions aboutBC-31

From Silver Borne:
they don't like to be threatenedSB-106
strong Alphas can force the change on another wolfSB-181

From River Marked:
they don't deal well with commercial airline travel; having to trust some stranger to fly the plane leaves them with the need for controlRM-26

Omega Werewolves

there are more male Omegas--because there are more male werewolvesChat 2008-02-09
different Omegas are "differently abled", not stronger or weakerChat 2008-02-09
few Omegas seldom meetChat 2008-02-09
like dominance, being an Omega was mostly personalityCW-197
Bran liked to say, identity was partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you made in life; just as a man makes himself into an Alpha so does an Omega; it's not an accident of birthCW-197
Anna as an Omega brought peace and serenity with her wherever she went; some of her power depended upon her being a werewolf, which magnified the effect of her magic; but a larger part of it was the steel backbone that made the best of whatever circumstances she happened to be in; those were conscious decisionsCW-197

Omegas serve much the same purpose in a pack as submissives, but more soCW-127
not constrained by an instinctive need to obey a more dominant wolfAO-37
instead of following anyone's orders they follow no one'sCW-127
has all the protective instincts of an Alpha and none of the violent tendenciesCW-127
they make sure that everyone in their pack is happy and sheltered from anything that might harm themCW-127
[[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]]
  * Omega wolves, are like Valium for werewolves<sup>55</sup>


Submissive Werewolves

a submissive werewolf is not incapable of protecting himself: he can fight, he can kill as readily as any otherCW-126
they don't feel the need to fight-not the way a dominant doesCW-126
they are a treasure in a pack; a source of purpose and balanceCW-126
protecting a submissive is far more rewarding because a submissive will never wait until you are wounded or your back is turned to see if you are truly dominant to themCW-126
submissive wolves can be trustedCW-126
they unite the pack with the goal of keeping them safe and cared forCW-126
torture a submissive, and you were left with the humanCW-131

Submissive wolves also got to travel because no Alpha would turn down a submissive wolf—there weren’t many of them, and they tended to help a pack function more smoothly.

submissive wolves usually do fine in pack politics because, like Christy, no one wants to hurt them

 Submissive means a wolf has no desire to be in charge.

Dominant Werewolves

it's hard for a dominant wolf to hurt a submissive wolf--if he's sane--their instincts tell them to protect themCW-99
dominant wolves heal faster than submissive wolvesMC-70
torture a dominant,and the wolf came to the forefrontCW-131
when an extremely dominant werewolf meets someone's gaze with his wolf in the fore, even humans bow to their kneesSB-57
arguing with dominant wolves could have unpleasant resultsSB-69
really dominant wolves can add a push into their voiceSB-293

In a wolf pack, the dominant members protect—they don’t need protection. I was not just the Alpha’s wife, I was his mate and a pack member.

Female Werewolves

a mated female took her pack position from her mate, but unmated females were always lower than males unless the male was unusually submissiveMC-39
unmated females belong to the AlphaBB-111
werewolf women can't have children.The change is too hard on the fetus. They miscarry in the third or fourth month.AO-22
werewolf women miscarry at the first full moonMC-97
females don't survive the change as well as malesBB-111
human women miscarry a little over half of the children they conceive by a werewolf fatherMC-97
human women carry to term only those babies who are wholly humanMC-97

New Werewolves

new werewolves have to be taught how to use their sensesMC-21
there is a support structure to educate the new wolf, to keep him and everyone around him safeMC-21
new werewolves, unless they have the guidance of a strong dominant, have little control of their wolf form the first few times they changeMC-20
a new werewolf just doesn't stand a chance against the older onesMC-34
one of the danger signs watched for in a new werewolf was a sudden change in personality or mood that seemed to have no obvious cause, an indication that the beast was gaining control of the humanCW-130
the wolf can supersede the man often in newly Changed wolves; they are vicious, unpredictable, and dangerous even to the people they loveSB-65

new werewolves were taught that the wolf was part of them, just a series of urges that needed to be controlled; it seemed to help most of them in the transition phaseCW-131


Old Werewolves

it's hard on the older wolves to adjust to the modern ways of thinkingBB-42
they're uptight, easy to anger, and especially in this last hundred years of rapid changes, were more likely to be hermitsIK-41
old werewolves are oddly fragileIK-129
many of them go berserk and have to be killed; others pine and starve themselves to death--and a starving werewolf is a very dangerous thingIK-129
some of the older wolves get pretty good at concealing what they are from othersCW-111
werewolves don't do well on their own, especially not old wolvesSB-11

Lone Wolves

a lone wolf is considered an outcastBC-34
a lone wolf is a male that either declines to join a pack or cannot find a pack that will take him in; females are not allowed that optionMC-117
lone wolves were, in general, an odd bunch, dangerous to themselves an othersBB-97

Rogue Wolves

a rogue is a wolf who has no official standing
when tracked down a rogue is given the opportunity to join a pack, lone wolf under the Marrok's rules, or killed
also a lone wolf who breaks the rules "goes rogue"  and is hunted down and killed
rogues can also be new wolves who don't know much and try to stay out of sightCW-95




=====Joining a Pack=====
[[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]]
  * pack existed before ceremonies; magic binds more obviously, more extensively but not more deeply<sup>56</sup>


